A legacy of care.
Hailed as one of the world's top-ranked medical schools, the UBC Faculty
of Medicine is globally recognized as a leader in medical education and
health sciences research. In celebration of its 70th anniversary, this
richly illustrated history is an inspiring reflection on the Faculty's
rise from humble beginnings to its standing today as a beacon of
excellence.
This beautifully illustrated book documents the history of the UBC
Faculty of Medicine, from its creation to the present day. Tracing the
trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the many people who strove to
first bring the Faculty into existence, and then to ensure its success,
it is a testament to their work in transforming aspiration into reality.
Unlikely though it may seem today, the UBC Faculty of Medicine's
creation was threatened from the moment British Columbia entered
Confederation in 1871. Proposals for a provincial medical school
encountered myriad challenges. There was no university until 1915, and
it took eight decades from the early dream to enrollment of the first
medical students. And yet, establishing the medical school was only the
first of many milestones reached despite great odds.
Today, the Faculty's medical undergraduate program is the fourth largest
in North America. Its faculty members have garnered numerous illustrious
awards--including the Nobel Prize. Its province-wide, distributed
undergraduate and postgraduate program, established in 2004 as the first
of its kind in Canada, is developing a new generation of doctors,
bringing health education to remote regions and communities, and
enhancing the quality of health care. And its researchers continue to
make breakthroughs in the priority areas of precision health, cancer,
brain and mental health, heart and lung health, population health, and
chronic diseases as well as across the breadth of health and life
sciences.
